Introduction
In our society, oil is one of the core requirements. Whether it is to drive from a point A to a point B or to fly between distant countries, oil always had a fundamental impact on our civilization. Its impact is felt, on a daily basis and under many aspects. Not a day goes by without hearing about the Brent's changing undulation, on the markets in New York or London. Some have thought that the desire to gain control of Iran's oil resources was the core of the CIA's intervention in that country, in the 1950s. In recent years, it was considered, by left-wing groups, that the war in Iraq was based upon an attempt of foreign control over the Iraqi petroleum resources. Even though both events have an unquestioned place within the region's politics and history, they will not be part of this paper's analytic structure. In lieu of that, it will talk about the 1973-1974 oil embargo and determine which theory could provide an explanation to such a move. This paper will elaborate on the previous embargoes used in the region's recent history, before thoroughly examine the 1973 embargo.
Regional history (1956-1973)
1956 : Suez crisis and Iranian oil nationalization
1956 marked the first time the Arab oil-exporting countries decided to use oil as a weapon, to achieve their political goals. That year, Egypt's Nasser decided to nationalize the Suez Canal. For the Egyptian leader, the Canal symbolized foreign exploitation, in Egypt. By doing such a move, the leader thought that he'd give an economic independence to his country. This move made by the patriarch of Nasserism caused retaliation from 3 military forces: the British, the French and the Israeli. On the other side of the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia saw all that was hap...
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...hs and ended at the Khartoum summit, in August 1967. During the summit, it was stipulated that “oil will not be used as a direct weapon against Israel’s Western protectors”. This was seen as a setback to Arab states. As a result of that decision, they had lost their solitary negotiating tool, oil. Nonetheless, the anti-Israeli sentiment of Arab states was still seen, during the summit, as “Arab states did not engage in any armistice or peace talks with Israel” (my translation). The 1967 war also caused a change in Egypt's foreign policy, since the positive neutralism of yore now became a dependence towards the Kremlin. In his book Le Proche-Orient éclaté, Georges Corm wrote that this war was not only an Arab loss against Israel, since “Nasserist, populist, socialist, Arab nationalist Egypt lost against the conservative, Pro-West, pan-Islamic Saudi monarchy.”.
The War Powers Act of 1973. The War Powers Act limits the power of the President of the United States to wage war without the approval of the Congress. The War Powers Act is also known as the War Powers Resolution. The purpose of the War Powers Resolution is to ensure that Congress and the President share in making decisions that may get the United States involved in hostilities.
Meyer, Bruce, Dr. "Suez Canal Crisis." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, n.d. Web. 07 Dec. 2013. .
Pratt, Joseph A. “Exxon and the Control of Oil.” Journal of American History. 99.1 (2012): 145-154. Academic search elite. Web. 26. Jan. 2014.
...d took control of the Gaza Strip once again. Anwar el-Sadat then became president after Gamal Abdel Nasser died in 1970. In an effort to take control of the Sinai Peninsula, Anwar el-Sadat attacked the Israelis. After a cease-fire, the United Nation’s troops then returned to keep things peaceful. Israel then later withdrew and was only allowed to use it for non-military purposes. In 1978 a peace treaty was established between Egypt and Israel which influenced more peace in the Middle East. Although a formal treaty was signed in 1979. In 1981 Sadat was assassinated and Mohamed Hosni Mubarak followed him in presidency. The Sinai Peninsula was then returned to Egypt in 1982 after the Israeli troops withdrew from the region. Mubarak embraced Sadat’s policies and managed to climb to the top and be once again making Egypt known as one of the leaders of the Arab world.
The Middle East has since time immemorial been on the global scope because of its explosive disposition. The Arab Israeli conflict has not been an exception as it has stood out to be one of the major endless conflicts not only in the region but also in the world. Its impact continues to be felt all over the world while a satisfying solution still remains intangible. A lot has also been said and written on the conflict, both factual and fallacious with some allegations being obviously evocative. All these allegations offer an array of disparate views on the conflict. This essay presents an overview of some of the major literature on the controversial conflict by offering precise and clear insights into the cause, nature, evolution and future of the Israel Arab conflict.
“One Arab nation from Gulf to the Ocean,” gives meaning to the term “Pan-Arabism” in the Middle East. A notion where Arab nations transcend their state boundaries to form political mergers with other states and achieve an ‘Arab unity.’ The existence of Arab states had been tumultuous throughout the decline of the Muslim order, the end of the Ottoman Empire, the Palestinian defeat, Six Day War and Arab-Israeli war in 1973. This essay will critically examine Foud Ajami’s case for a raison d’état in the Middle East and his claim that there were six broad trends leading to the alteration of the balance of power away from Pan-Arabism and towards the state. It will be argued that Pan-Arabism was a romantic ideology that Arab states found convenient to support, all in advancement of their nationalistic state agendas. It was never a realistic endeavor that was physically undertaken by the Arab states and was thus never alive in a tangible sense. However, Pan-Arabism as an ideology had a place in the Middle East and was thus alive in an ideological sense.
El-Shazly, N. E. (1998). The Gulf tanker war: Iran and Iraq's maritime swordplay. New York: St. Martin's Press.
In 1980 Kuwait, feared the dominance of Persian in the Gulf area had no option but to support Iraq financially and act as a life tube to the Iraqi military (3).Kuwait sent medical supplies to the wounded Iraqi soldiers and food during these eight years (3). At the end of the Persian-Iraq war, Iraq managed to keep its country and pride safe, but suffered greatly both financially and humanly (2). Iraq had a loaded debt and owed nearly $37 billion to the gulf countries in 1990, due the assistance they gave it to Iraq during the Persian-Iraq war (2). The ruler of Iraq Saddam Hussein asked the Gulf countries especially the UAE and Kuwait to abrogate the debt, believing the loans should be looked at as returning the favour for saving the Gulf region from the Iranian expansionism (2). The Iraqi ruler calls was futile as his demands was rejected by the Gulf leaders (2). This resolution led Saddam to threaten Kuwait (2).
The Middle East has historically rebuked Western influence during their process of establishing independence. When Britain and France left the Middle East after World War II, the region saw an unprecedented opportunity to establish independent and self-sufficient states free from the Western influence they had felt for hundreds of years. In an attempt to promote nationalistic independence, the states of the region immediately formed the League of Arab States in 1945. The League recognized and promoted the autonomy of its members and collaborated in regional opposition against the West until 1948 when Israel declared independence. Israel represented then and now an intrusive Western presence in the Arab world. The ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict typifies this cultural antagonism. The Cold War refocused attention to the Middle East as a site of economic and strategic importance for both sides, yet the two hegemons of the Cold War now needed to recognize the sovereignty of the Middle Eastern states. With their statehood and power cemented, the Middle Easte...
Aside from causing a major shift in geopolitical power, WWII also solidified the integral role oil played politically in national security. However, following the war the United States was no longer the world’s largest oil producer and was unable to maintain self-sufficiency as it had in the past. As a national security imperative oil was more important at this point than ever before. America’s war machine needed to be well oiled in case the new Cold War suddenly turned hot.
The author exposes how the American and Arabs cultures met and interacted. It is clear that the Arab people did not comprehend the changes they would face. Furthermore, the Americans had to adapt but somehow still overcome religion and tradition. Consequently, the beginning of the oil era brought financial wealth but for the greater part brought painful changes to Arab societies. It is difficult to understand how oil wealth did not completely modernize the Middle East for a greater good. Instead we know about the real situation in both the novel and the real Arab culture and how oil money paired with retroactive empires, old religious beliefs and self-absorbed Western governments took over.
The crisis took place on the Suez-Canal in Egypt during the cold war years of the 1950’s. Gamal Abdel-Nasser was in charge of Egypt in 1954. He wanted to improve conditions in Egypt, and so he decided that he would build the Aswan Dam. In order to fund the construction of the dam he seized the Suez- canal, and charged each passage that sailed across it. The British, French, and the Israelis, who strongly opposed the idea, used this as a reason to attack Egypt.
...ed to nationalize the Suez Canal through which three fourths of all European oil is passed. After several months of negotiations Britain, France and Israel attacked Egypt and retook the canal. United Nations condemned their actions and forced them to give up the canal to Egypt once again. As a result of the Eisenhower convinced Congress to approve the Eisenhower Doctrine that would “assist any nation in the region that required aid against aggression from any nation controlled by International Communism.” The Eisenhower administration was very careful not to alienate any Middle Eastern countries that could provide the country with a steady supply of oil and this affected his foreign policy and the policy of containment.
Andersen, Roy, Robert F. Seibert, and Jon G. Wagner. Politics and change in the Middle East: sources of conflict and accommodation. 9th ed. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1982. Print.
...n. "Twenty Years after the Embargo US Oil Import Dependence and How It Can Be Reduced." Energy Policy 22.6 (1994): 471-85. Print.